Tripleseat Case Study:

Lombardo’s Hospitality Group

Lombardo’s Hospitality Group, a fourth-generation family-owned enterprise rooted in Massachusetts since 1927, has consistently upheld the tradition and artistry of exceptional hospitality. Under the leadership of CEO and Co-owner David Lombardo, the group operates a dynamic collection of brands that exemplify innovation and service. These include Off the Vine Catering—specializing in bespoke menus for weddings, corporate events, proms, and galas; Bardo’s Bar Pizza—with two Massachusetts locations, one situated in a brewery as a full-service restaurant and the other operating as a mobile food truck; and Spitfire BBQ Catering.

Managing a diverse and fast-paced portfolio across four distinct brands and multiple venues requires a centralized, high-performing system. Tripleseat has been essential in helping Lombardo’s seamlessly coordinate a high volume of events with precision and consistency. With the addition of Tripleseat Direct, Lombardo’s has empowered guests to book directly, streamlining the planning process and delivering a frictionless, elevated guest experience from the very first interaction.

The Challenges Prior to Tripleseat

A Rigid, Outdated System

Before using Tripleseat, Lombardo’s Hospitality Group struggled with a previous event management system that clashed with their vision of warm, comforting hospitality. Proposals lacked visual appeal, and the overall user experience for both their team and clients was cumbersome, creating friction in their sales and planning processes. According to David Lombardo, “What we used before was very rigid, visually unappealing, lacked interactive functionality, and was difficult to use.”

Fragmented Communication & Workflow

Using a legacy event management platform, tracking client discussions, managing leads and bookings, and coordinating across different teams and locations were inefficient, leading to potential missed details and slower response times. Without a unified calendar, robust communication features, and the direct booking add-on that Tripleseat and TripleseatDirect brought, scaling their diverse event types and locations was a constant challenge, limiting their ability to maintain the high standards of efficiency and client satisfaction they desired.

Inefficient Lead & Payment Management

The legacy system lacked streamlined lead distribution, delaying response times and undermining the quick turnaround that Lombardo’s Hospitality Group is known for. Furthermore, payment processing was not integrated efficiently, adding extra steps to their workflow and delaying the finalization of bookings. These operational bottlenecks consumed valuable time and prevented their team from focusing on delivering exceptional culinary and hospitality experiences.

“Honestly, if you’re looking for an intuitive, easy-to-use platform where you can be organized, where you can be communicative with your guests, and you can put out proposals that match your brand and you’re proud of, Tripleseat’s the place for you. It’s all right there, and it’s all just so easy!”

David Lombardo, CEO and Co-owner of Lombardo’s Hospitality Group

Why Tripleseat and TripleseatDirect?

Lombardo’s Hospitality Group made the switch about 7 years ago to Tripleseat and more recently, TripleseatDirect, a direct booking add-on, seeking a modern, intuitive, and attractive solution that aligned with their brand ethos. David Lombardo, who spearheaded the transition, recounts, “I went out in search of something else. And that’s where I came across Tripleseat, and we’ve been using Tripleseat now for about 7 years.” The platform’s ability to streamline communication, centralize data, and offer an appealing user interface for direct booking made it the clear choice. Lombardo’s decision has been so impactful that David’s brother, who owns a catering company on Cape Cod, recently adopted Tripleseat after witnessing Lombardo’s success, transitioning from an Excel spreadsheet to a comprehensive platform with guest-friendly direct booking functionality.

Results Using Tripleseat

The implementation of Tripleseat profoundly transformed Lombardo’s Hospitality Group’s operations, enabling them to manage a high volume of diverse events with unprecedented ease and confidence. From busy seasons like May and June (averaging 60+ events per month) to steady months with 30+ events, Tripleseat provides the organizational backbone.

Modern, Efficient System for Multi-Brand Operations

Tripleseat serves as the operational backbone for David Lombardo’s diverse family of brands—Off the Vine Catering, Bardo’s Pizza, and Spitfire BBQ. “It’s where my life lives,” Lombardo says of the calendar feature that keeps his team organized and in sync. This all-in-one view allows them to categorize every event in a centralized system, making it easy to track what’s happening across multiple businesses. Whether reviewing a single day or mapping out the month ahead, Lombardo describes Tripleseat as “our one-stop shop” for ensuring seamless, real-time coordination and efficient execution across locations.

Elevated Communication and Seamless Guest Experience

Tripleseat’s communication tools ensure nothing gets lost between teams or with guests. Each event includes a dedicated discussion thread that captures the full conversation history as a reliable reference. “It’s a great data set of communication and dialogue… to ensure we’re not missing anything,” says David Lombardo. Tripleseat integrates with Outlook, so client emails are logged automatically—keeping responses fast and organized.

TripleseatDirect further streamlines the guest experience by allowing online booking and ordering without third-party platforms. It delivers a faster, branded, and frictionless way for guests to engage and confirm instantly.

Easy Lead-to-Payment Management with TripleseatDirect

The introduction of TripleseatDirect in early 2025 revolutionized the Lombardo team’s lead handling and payment workflows, especially for high-volume, low-touch orders like drop-off catering. “I don’t have to sit there and build everything,” Lombardo explains. “Everything is done for you and populated… the charges happen, and you’re just hitting print on a BEO and giving it to your chef.”
This automation drastically cuts down manual work, enabling quicker turnaround from inquiry to invoice. It empowers staff to focus on execution rather than administration, while guests benefit from instant confirmations and simplified transactions. With Tripleseat and TripleseatDirect, managing the entire lifecycle of an event—from lead to payment—is faster, easier, and more accurate than ever.

Ready to Grow Your Event Business?

See how Tripleseat can help you book more events, streamline operations, and drive direct revenue with Tripleseat Direct.

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